Tuesday, May 22, 2007 3:55 AM

1NT & 6-4's

PITBULLS:

1NT is the corner stone of our bidding system. The more distributions we can handle after that bid , the better off established partnerships will be. One such distribution is a forcing to game 6-4 with 4 of a major & 6 of a minor. These hands are traditionally shown via the Stayman structure. However , we have complicated matters by having 3♣ as Re-Stayman after any Stayman response.

In Calgary , BJ & I played against a pair that offered the following solution. After a Stayman sequence , a 3♦ bid shows any/other 4 card major & a 6 card minor. 3♥ asks which 6 card minor with step responses used to reply. This means we know partners distribution by the 3NT level , which is a good thing. Slam tries can start at the 4 level by agreeing the minor at the 4 level & responder uses Kickback if they wish to take control.

♠KQxx ♥xx ♦x ♣AKQxxx and partner opens 1NT . You bid Stayman , partner bids 2♦ so responder now bids 3♦ to show any 6 card minor with a 4 card major. Partner bids 3♥ to ask which minor so you bid 3♠ which shows clubs. Partner signs off in 3NT & you pass. Partner has ♠Jxx ♥AQJ ♦KQJxx ♣Jx . Change partners hand to ♠AJx ♥AKx ♦Axxx ♣Jxx and with her controls partner bids 4♣. You bid Kickback with 4♦ and eventually reach 7♣ . From 3NT to a grand slam just by showing partner your 6-4 !!

When partner rebids a major , the 6-4 is pinpointed exactly as responder must have 4 of the other major with a 6 card minor. 1NT-P-2♣-P 2♠-P-3♦-P shows 4♥ with a 6 card minor.

You hold ♠Axxx ♥AJx ♦Kx ♣Axxx , partner holds ♠x ♥KQxx ♦Ax ♣KQxxxx so off to your grand slam in clubs.

What if you have found a 4-4 major suit fit , what is 3♦ ? No such bid as you bid the other major as a general slam try. 3♦ means you do not have a fit & you hold the other major. The other major in a Stayman sequence is universally accepted to mean a fit in partner’s major.

How about 5-4-3-1’s with a 4 card major & a 5 card minor ? We feel that Re-Stayman would do a better job with those hands unless the 5 card suit is so good that it evaluates to a 6 card suit. It is the enormous playing potential of a 6-4 that is described to partner.